Smart wireless engine sensor

ABSTRACT

Sensors are mounted to an engine to detect engine conditions and send information to an engine controller or other engine component through a wireless connection. Ports are located on the engine controller. An antenna assembly is plugged into one of the ports and wirelessly receives the signal from the sensor. Another antenna assembly transmits a signal from the engine controller to an external component. A processor within the antenna assemblies monitors and adjusts the signals to correct for signal interference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a smart wireless engine sensor for wirelesslytransmitting/receiving data to and from an engine controller.

Engine sensors are commonly used to collect data during engineoperation. Sensors transmit information about a turbine engine, forexample, to an engine controller. The engine controller is mounted tothe engine and has a wired connection with the sensors. Additionally,the engine controller includes ports for connecting cabling between theengine controller and a desired external component that receives thesensor data. The engine controller communicates the sensor data to theexternal component to monitor engine conditions, such as for enginemaintenance information.

The wiring and cabling that connects the sensor to the externalcomponent is an additional weight on the turbine engine and alsoincreases the space required for the engine controller and the sensors.Additionally, if any failures in the wiring and cabling occur, thesystem incorrectly indicates a failure of the engine component that isbeing monitored.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a wireless engine sensor thatcommunicates sensor information while limiting improper failure signalsand that has a lighter arrangement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A wireless engine sensor according to the present invention wirelesslycommunicates data between a sensor and an external component.

An engine controller is mounted to a turbine engine, and data collectedfrom engine sensors is sent to the engine controller. Ports are locatedon the engine controller for receiving antenna assemblies. One antennaassembly received in a sensor port of the engine controllerreceives/transmits information to and from the sensors. Another antennaassembly received in a component port of the engine controllerreceives/transmits information to and from an external component.

The antenna assemblies each include a connector, a processor, supportingelectronics and an antenna. The processor is a multicore processor boardto monitor the signal between the antenna and the sensor or the externalcomponent and to adjust the signal to correct for signal interference.The antenna includes a transmitter and a receiver module to transmit andreceive the signal. A radome covers the antenna and the processor toprotect the components from external contamination.

These and other features of the present invention can be best understoodfrom the following specification and drawings, the following of which isa brief description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an example turbine engine of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the engine showing an exampleengine controller;

FIG. 3 illustrates the example engine controller; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an example antenna assembly of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a turbine engine 10. Air is pulled intothe turbine engine 10 by a fan 12 and flows through a low pressurecompressor 14 and a high pressure compressor 16. Fuel is mixed with theair, and combustion occurs within the combustor 18. Exhaust fromcombustion flows through a high pressure turbine 20 and a low pressureturbine 22 prior to leaving the engine 10 through an exhaust nozzle 24.

FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged view of a portion of the engine 10. Anengine controller 26 is mounted on or near the engine 10. The enginecontroller 26 is preferably a full authority digital engine controlleras is commonly used with turbine engines 10. In the example shown, theengine controller 26 is mounted to the low pressure compressor 14.However, the engine controller 26 can be mounted to any location on oradjacent to the engine 10 that is convenient. Sensors 28 are mounted tothe turbine engine 10 to sense engine information, such as temperatureor pressure at the location of the sensor 28. Each sensor 28 isprogrammable. A transmitter/receiver 29 in the sensor 28 wirelesslytransmits the data collected to and from the engine controller 26. Thesensors 28 may also be located at other location on an aircraft thathouses the turbine engine 10, such as in the landing gear.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example engine controller 26 including sensorports 30 (shown in FIG. 2) and component ports 32. In one example, theengine controller 26 is a full authority digital engine controller(FADEC). The sensor ports 30 receive an antenna assembly 40 a towireless connect the engine controller 26 to the sensors 28. Thecomponent ports 32 receive an antenna assembly 40 b to wirelesslyconnect the engine controller 26 to an external component 34. Theexternal component 34 may be a computer, further engine control unit, ordata processor. The external component 34 may further be connected to asystem network or another device on-board or off-board an aircraft.

The component ports 32 are located on a first side 36 of the enginecontroller 26, which is oriented within the engine 10 for easy access.The sensor ports 30 are located on a second side 38 of the enginecontroller 26 and can also be accessed by a user. The sensor ports 30and the component ports 32 are designed to receive a connector 48including pins 43, such as a pin connector styled plug that is typicallyprovided at the end of cables.

The antenna assemblies 40 a are plugged into the sensor ports 30, andthe other antenna assemblies 40 b are plugged into the component ports32. The sensor 28 wirelessly transmits and receives signals 41 to andfrom the antenna assembly 40 a plugged into the sensor port 30. Theantenna assembly 40 b wirelessly transmits and receives signals 46 toand from the external component 34.

The external component 34 includes a serial bus 44, and a wirelessuniversal serial bus adapter 42 may plug into the serial bus 44. Theadapter 42 communicates the signal 46 to and from the antenna assembly40 b that is plugged into the component port 32. Thus, the antennaassembly 40 b can be used with any external component 34 having a serialbus 44. The signal 46 can be transmitted at a frequency in the infraredto the microwave band. Alternately, a wireless transceiver and receivercould be designed in the external component 34 such that the adapter 42would not be necessary. The external component 34 could be located onthe aircraft driven by the turbine engine 10, or may be located at aremote location, such as a tarmac proximate to the turbine engine 10.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view of an example antenna assembly 40.The antenna assembly 40 includes the connector 48, a processor 50 and anantenna 52. A radome 54 covers the antenna 52 and the processor 50 toprotect the components from external contamination. The connector 48 isa pin style connector including pins 43, similar to that found at theend of cables, and fits within the sensor ports 30 and the componentports 32 of the engine controller 26 (shown in FIG. 3). The connector 48can be any style designed to fit existing connections on the enginecontroller 26. The antenna 52 includes a transmitter and a receivermodule 53 to transmit and receive the signals 41 and 46 to and from thesensor 28 and the external component 34, respectively.

The processor 50 is preferably a multicore processor board. Theprocessor 50 allows the antenna 52 to transmit a signal 41 and 46 at afrequency in the infrared to microwave band. The processor 50 can beprogrammed to monitor the signal 46 between the antenna 52 and theexternal component 34 for the antenna assembly 40 b or to monitor thesignal 41 between the antenna 52 and the sensor 28 for the antennaassembly 40 a. If an undue amount of signal interference is detected,the processor 50 can adjust the signals 41 or 46 to temporarily correctany issues. Thus, the processor 50 can provide adjustments duringoperation of the engine 10 to maintain communications until maintenanceor repair can occur. If needed, the processor 50 can be reprogrammedwith updated information. The processor 50 can also amplify the signals41 or 46 or adjust the signal frequency.

In addition, the processor 50 may also analyze data from the sensor 28as it is transferred to the antenna 52. Data analysis by the processor50, for example, can include prediction of component life or failure forthe portion of the turbine engine 10 being monitored by the sensor 28.Information from multiple sensors 28 may be transferred from thecontroller 26 to the external component 34 with the signal 46 foranalysis.

Each antenna assembly 40 a and 40 b may contain prognostic algorithmsand/or testing software to evaluate the operation condition of theattached equipment. Each antenna assembly 40 a and 40 b may also reportequipment malfunction, especially when the aircraft is on the ground andthe cowling is open. The antenna assemblies 40 a and 40 b also cancommunicate to a ground device. The antenna assemblies 40 a and 40 balso allow for correction and emergency correction of the attachedequipment, if necessary, while the aircraft is in flight. By employingantenna assemblies 40 a and 40 b, a neural network or a distributedcomputational network that communicates data wirelessly is possible.Each antenna assembly 40 a and 40 b can also communicate with more thanone engine controller 26 or engine component or be assigned a hierarchyof communication.

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, aworker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certainmodifications would come within the scope of this invention. For thatreason, the following claims should be studied to determine the truescope and content of this invention.

1. A turbine engine control comprising: a sensor to be mounted to a gasturbine engine to sense engine conditions; an antenna assembly having asensor antenna, and a component antenna that communicates information toan external component by wireless transmission; and an engine componenthaving at least one component port that receives a detachable pinconnector of the component antenna of the antenna assembly, wherein thesensor communicates information to the engine component by wirelesstransmission and the engine component and the external component areseparate and different components.
 2. The turbine engine control ofclaim 1 wherein the sensor antenna comprises a sensor processor and thecomponent antenna comprises a component processor to analyze data fromthe sensor.
 3. The turbine engine control of claim 1, wherein theexternal component comprises a computer.
 4. The turbine engine controlof claim 1, wherein the external component is located on an aircraft. 5.The turbine engine control of claim 1, comprising a radome covering thesensor antenna.
 6. The turbine engine control of claim 1, wherein thesensor antenna comprises a transmitter and a receiver.
 7. The turbineengine control of claim 1, wherein the engine component is an enginecontroller.
 8. The turbine engine control of claim 1, wherein the sensorand the engine component are separate components.
 9. The turbine enginecontrol of claim 1, wherein the engine component is mounted on the gasturbine engine.
 10. The turbine engine control of claim 1, wherein theengine component is an engine controller that is mounted on the gasturbine engine.
 11. The turbine engine control of claim 1, wherein theengine component is an engine controller mounted on the gas turbineengine, and the external component is a computer.
 12. The turbine enginecontrol of claim 1, wherein the gas turbine engine includes a fan, acompressor, a combustor and a turbine.